138 
Drug  Intoxication. 
J  Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
1      March,  1915. 
foreign  countries.  The  table  of  imports  for  consumption  in  the 
United  States  for  19 13  includes  drugs,  chemicals,  and  other  products 
used  as  medicine  to  the  value  of  more  than  $100,000,000.  It  has 
been  conservatively  estimated  that  the  people  of  the  United  States 
expend  annually  upward  of  $500,000,000  for  medicine,  and  that  by 
far  the  greater  bulk  of  the  medicine  purchased  is  consumed  hap- 
hazardly and  not  under  the  direct  supervision  of  experts  whose 
knowledge  would  tend  to  prevent  harmful  intoxication  and  untoward 
results  from  the  ingestion  of  potent  and  in  many  instances  danger- 
ously harmful  preparations. 
The  relative  quantities  of  some  of  the  products  imported  are 
shown  in  the  appended  tables,  compiled  from  the  list  of  imported 
merchandise  entered  for  consumption  in  the  United  States,  issued 
by  the  Department  of  Commerce.  The  first  of  these  tables  shows 
the  number  of  pounds  of  some  of  the  more  widely  used  botanical 
drugs  imported  into  the  United  States  during  the  years  1909  to  1913, 
inclusive,  and  the  second  table  reflects  the  quantities  of  some  of  the 
more  widely  used  medicinal  chemicals  entered  for  consumption 
during  the  same  period. 
When  one  considers  the  potential  possibilities  for  harm  inherent 
in  practically  all  drugs  and  preparations  it  is  astonishing  that  atten- 
tion has  not  earlier  been  directed  to  the  need  for  careful,  systematic 
study  of  the  possible  untoward  influences  of  the  several  drugs  used. 
The  frequent,  excessive  or  long-continued  use  of  any  one  of  a 
number  of  inorganic  compounds,  particularly  the  soluble  salts  of 
mercury,  lead,  uranium  and  related  metals,  has  been  shown  to  be 
irritating  to  the  kidneys  and  capable  of  producing  chronic  lesions. 
The  constant  ingestion  of  many  of  the  otherwise  innocuous  inorganic 
salts  when  contaminated  by  traces  of  arsenic  or  lead  may,  and 
undoubtedly  will,  produce  toxic  manifestations. 
Many  organic  compounds  have  also  been  found  to  produce  marked 
changes  or  secondary  manifestations.  The  changes  produced  by 
alcohol  and  the  narcotic  drugs  have  been  fairly  well  recognized  and 
considerable  data  are  also  available  regarding  the  harmful  effects  of 
the  coal-tar  analgesics,  the  several  hypnotics,  and  a  number  of  alde- 
hydes and  related  products. 
All  of  the  important  or  active  medicaments  must  of  necessity  have 
harmful  influences  when  taken  indiscriminately  or  for  a  continued 
length  of  time.  It  has  been  very  properly  asserted  that  the  activity 
of  drugs  may  vary  to  an  infinite  number  of  degrees.    It  may  be 
